What's Good: Year-In-Review Postponed
Welp. Normally around this time of year, I give you my year-in-review post where I break down my favorite albums, songs, beats, and verses of the past year. Unfortunately as the clock began to wind down closer to get to compiling (although if you follow me on Bluesky, part of the beats of the year work has been done), 2025 had hands for me. It's been a tough one for everybody, and your boy didn't manage to come out of things unscathed, so I'm making the call to hold off until I'm in a better headspace. Apologies if you were looking forward to it, but I'll try and get it together for you in the new year.
BUT. I'm not going to leave you without something to step to. For starters, there are plenty of other people who're out here summing up the heat for 2025:
Don't Rock The Inbox x Stereogum & Best Country Songs of 2025
Marissa Moss
Queens and friends of the blog Don't Rock The Inbox blessed Stereogum with blurbs for the best country albums of the year. Natalie and Marissa dropped knowledge of five albums a piece, then in their own newsletter they broke down the top best songs of the year. I need to put that Muscadine Bloodline record in my ears expeditiously.
CABBAGES Best Hip-Hop/Rap Albums of 2025
Gary Suarez
The homey Gary Suarez comes through with his yearly breakdown of the 25 best rap albums of the year, with plenty of What's Good's faves, and more than a handful of joints that escaped my notice (this Sunmundi & Sasco LP sounds like just my type of hype).
Elmattic's Ill True Mentals
That dude Elmattic continues to wave the flag for instrumental hip hop, with five of the best of 2025. I can personally vouch for You're All Cowards and CREAM, and I'll definitely be tapping into the others.
And of course, if you really want a glimpse at what my Year-In-Review would've been, a good way to get a taste is to go through the archives, pick a playlist, and let it rock. I'll try to get something a bit more substantial for you early in the new year, but if not, look forward to 2026's first edition of What's Good to kick off in January.
Before I sign out though, I'd like to use my absent-mindedness to do some good. I've got an extra copy of one of my favorite LPs of the year–Armand Hammer & The Alchemist's second collaborative effort Mercy–on vinyl and while I could probably toss it up on Discogs or eBay, I want to give it to one of y'all. Instead of just a blanket giveaway, I'm thinking I could make the barrier of entry a donation to a worthy cause. Maybe the Trans Youth Emergency Project or Al Otro Lado? Keep your eyes peeled for an update once I figure out what the best way to do it is, and feel free to hit me up if you've done something like this before.
Be easy, and as always, make good choices.
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